The Internet is a world wide “super-network” which connects together millions of individual computer networks and computers. The Internet is generally not a single entity. It is an extremely diffuse and complex system over where no single entity has complete authority or control. Although the Internet is widely know for one of its ways of presenting information through the World Wide Web (herein “Web”), there are many other services currently available based upon the general Internet protocols and infrastructure.
Information on the Web often is presented on “pages” of graphics and text that contain “links” to other pages either within the same set of data files (i.e., Web site) or within data files located on other computer networks. Users often access information on the Web using a “browser” program such as one made by Netscape Communications Corporation (now America Online, Inc.) of Mountain View, Calif. or Explorer™ from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. Browser programs can process information from Web sites and display the information using graphics, text, sound, and animation.
A domain name is a meaningful and easy-to-remember “handle” for an Internet address. The domain name system (DNS) is a name resolution protocol through which Internet domain names are located and translated into Internet Protocol addresses. DNS converts host names to IP addresses and vice-versa. Each domain is managed by a DNS name server, which is a server that contains the host name information about the hosts and sub-domains within its domain.
The DNS database is partitioned into sets of related records that are replicated on multiple servers; each such set of records is called a zone. DNS name servers transfer zones from each other to maintain the consistency of information in the DNS.
As use of the Internet has grown, so too have the number of DNS servers. Traffic management at the DNS servers has become more important. In addition, because all world wide web requests go through the DNS, opportunities for hacking and other malicious behaviors exist.
From the above, it is seen that an improved DNS server that manages DNS traffic and detects potential attacks is highly desirable.